


waiting in the wings

by hearmyvoice



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fictober, Fictober 2019, Gen, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Swearing, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-11-27 10:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 3,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20946734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearmyvoice/pseuds/hearmyvoice
Summary: They never believed in the soulmates thing, considering it too stupid. However, that seems to change when they are suddenly surprised by inexplicable marks in their bodies.All, being the dumbest dorks in the world.





	1. Marks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 11.  
Marks.

"This must be a fucking joke," Cassandra replied with annoyance, watching her face reflected in the bathroom mirror. Particularly, at her neck, where the mark of a bite had formed, making her sigh heavily.

She was not dumb, nor was she innocent, she had already had more than one partner, and she recognized the mark of a denture when she saw it. But she also recognized that it was impossible, she had finished her relationship with Andrew last week, the last time they had sex was a week and a half ago, and a few minutes ago she had discovered the mark just because Rapunzel had mentioned it when she came to visit her.

The meaning could be there, but the young adult was too stubborn to recognize it.

The idea of soulmates had always seemed stupid, especially since she had never shown any sign of any mark. There was no red thread tied to her pinky, no legend on her arm, and her distinction of colors was perfect. Rapunzel claimed that her eyesight had always varied in blue tones before meeting Eugene, her current boyfriend, and how difficult her love for art had been when she couldn't appreciate a color that wasn't blue.

But when she arrived at the university and nothing appeared, she had begun to believe that it had been nothing more than one of her innocent and imaginative friend's children's stories, and now she could not help but growl at the cruel irony.

Who was such an idiot to let they get bitten with that kind?

"Damn son of..." Varian growled harshly, bathing a cotton ball in alcohol. He frowned, feeling the moisture forming in his gray-blue eyes. Looking at his bare chest, the student's gaze focused on the bite mark on his neck.

It was not the first time that her boyfriend was biting him while they had sex. He used to ensure that they would know that he was dating someone, but it burned. More than he thought, and seeing the thread of blood was proof of that.

But another truth was that Varian had stopped feeling something in that dominance and submissive relationship. Since he had met Rapunzel and saw someone with such interest in his chemistry projects, he could say that he had improved his self-esteem, and see how cloying his relationship with Eugene was, he had begun to see his with other eyes.

He snorted when the cotton brushed his injured skin.

Fortunately, no one would be so unfortunate as to be surprised by a bite in the neck.


	2. Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 12.  
Constellation.

"The Big Dipper looks lovely tonight," Varian smiled, his gaze focused on the starry sky before making the sketch in his notebook.

He knew that he spoke more to himself than to his partner, who was sitting next to him concentrating on smoking who-knows-what, aspiring near the youngest allowing him to breathe in the scent emanating from the cigar.

But despite the grimaces or complaints that he knew would not be heard, the young college student preferred to see the night sky.

"Although my father doesn't understand astronomy too much, he says he loves to see me talk about it because he knows it makes me happy," he said especially to himself while drawing another constellation, the Orion Belt specifically.

His boyfriend grunted exasperatedly, rolling his eyes, although he decided to ignore him.

"Why focus on whether it's night or day and we better take advantage of your father going to the city?" He surrounded Varian's waist, feeling the smell of apple shampoo. His gaze centered on the collar of the jacket he wore, unfolded to cover the mark he had previously made, "and what did I tell you about covering you? You know I don't like it, everyone might think you're single to play with you."

The boy continued to draw even when he felt a pair of skillful hands fold his neck again.

"It's awkward, you know?" He thought, thinking about saying it out loud and regretting, knowing how much it bothered his boyfriend to say things he didn't want to hear, especially that involved their relationship.

"Besides, you look ridiculous." Coming back to his side, he continued smoking, exhaling on Varian's shoulder when he saw him draw a series of insignificant dots and lines, before snatching the notebook from the opposite hands. "Let's have fun."

But before he had a chance to speak, a hand grabbed his wrist sharply before dragging him to another place.

Surely to the fucking bed.

But he couldn't complain.

He knew it was forbidden.

Meanwhile, Cassandra saw the night sky. Her father used to tell her about the constellations, telling stories about the stars that any four-year-old girl could believe fantastic, though it had not been until she overcame his mother's abandonment that she managed to consider them so.

Perhaps that is why she felt extremely happy, no matter how absurd it seemed. The mark on her neck was beginning to heal, and fortunately Rapunzel's curiousity had not asked questions about it, even preventing Eugene from judging her.

But why did she suddenly feel a strong pain in her wrist?


	3. The Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 13.  
Soul.

"I still think you should break up with him." Rapunzel slightly stirred her vanilla milkshake, fiddling with the straw before taking a sip. Beside her, Eugene hummed, according to his girlfriend's thoughts.

"I know, I've thought about it more than once." Varian snapped when the blonde took his hand, brushing with his reddish wrist despite the gentleness of her touch, "but I'm afraid, you know? Every time he becomes more aggressive and...

The images of the previous night were repeated in his mind, and the first semester student could not help shivering while making a face.

And despite the absence of words, both understood the message. Or that was what Varian supposed when he noticed how Eugene imitated his expression... at least until his girlfriend gently elbowed him.

"That's why I think you should do something now, before it's too late." The fifth semester smiled affectionately squeezing his hand, providing a gentle massage to the injured area that seemed to reassure the chemistry student. "Just look at how he has left you the last weeks..."

_With a shattered soul,_ she meant. But she knew it wasn't what Varian wanted to hear; or at least, not now, that he was in a moral dilemma.

"But he says he loves me," he wanted to assure, he wanted confidence to stand out in his tone of voice; but he couldn't when his voice literally broke at the thought, remembering how he used to say he loved him before leaving another bruise on his face.

He could not continue telling his father that they were due to accidents at the faculty, or in the laboratory. There were fewer and fewer factors that covered his lie.

"If he did, he wouldn't leave you like that." But despite the scolding, Raps's voice was affectionate, shaking Varian's gloved hand.

"Blondie is right, Stripy Hair. You can't keep doing this damage to yourself, you also have a place that should be respected. He doesn't do it by leaving you in that state, and not doing anything drives him to continue" he knew how fragile Varian was now, he assumed when his girlfriend took him by the hand.

But despite not knowing much about the boy's problems unlike Rapunzel, he felt that he should be there for him, to show him that he was not alone to lift his spirits. Not running him to let off steam alone with her showed that, despite the circumstances, he trusted him.

And that was something that made him feel more comfortable.

Sighing to himself, a very small smile formed on Varian's face, releasing the alien's hand to remain focused on his salad.

"I'll think about it," he murmured, watching the couple for a moment, who saw how the boy's soul shone through his gaze, "but thanks."

Before continuing to eat, Rapunzel and Eugene not being very discreet with their hopeful smiles, wishing the best for the young chemical aspirant.


	4. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 14.  
Shoes.

Cassandra ran hurriedly across the campus, listening and feeling the raindrops crashing into the ground and also against her body, feeling the soles of her shoes sink into puddles of mud and water, making her stagger more than once.

The hazelnut-eyed girl was just throwing insults about it. She didn't know how, or why, but she hadn't been able to sleep all night because of constant pain in her body; thanks to that, she had fallen asleep, she had gone late, and to top it off, it had started to rain.

Now is when she had the typical thought that her day could not get worse and she just tripped over a pebble.

No thanks, she preferred to stagger as her body trembled unstoppably and struggled to get to school on time.

She would later see Rapunzel and Eugene in the usual cafeteria, and she knew that seeing her friend used to lift her spirits in some way.

However, her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when her body collided with another, both falling into concrete soaking, and the woman growled in exasperation.

"Hey, look! Don't you know how to walk?" Getting up, she pushed her damp bangs away from her eyes to see a boy, shorter and probably younger than her, imitating her actions.

"I'm so sorry, my apologies!" Taking his backpack off the ground, he grimaced when he saw it dripping, "I was late, and I was so rushed that I didn't see you."

Surprisingly, the bluish-colored tuft jumped next to his eyes, still standing out despite the lack of lightness.

What took Cassandra off guard, though, was the boy's voice, very deep for someone so small.

Well, at least she wasn't the only one in a hurry.

"Um... in that case, don't worry, I guess I didn't see where I was going either," she felt her forced voice, feeling her ego cracking as he succumbed to the boy's excuse. "I better hurry, though, my professor does not tolerate delays."

Varian laughed for a moment, to Cassandra's bewilderment.

"I get it. Also, I don't think it's a good idea to stay here with this weather. Goodbye!"

But before she could respond to the farewell, he kept walking at a rapid pace, his steps sounding when the shoe hit the wet ground.

She was sure that they would both be squeezing the moisture from their bodies and clothes as soon as they were under cover, and it would be better if she also rushed.

If they had more light, they would have both witnessed the signs of bruises on each face.


	5. Tranquility

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 15.  
Waterlily

Varian loved to visit the lake that was on the shore of his hometown. He didn't know why, but sitting under a tree helped him concentrate better; otherwise, it used to relax him.

There he could read, draw constellations, solve his homework, or simply do nothing.

And now that his relationship was finally over, he could enjoy those few moments of loneliness more. They had practically been banned because he used to mean he did it to see someone else.

But now he could consider himself calm, happy, and free to visit his special place.

He drew a waterlily while humming; sitting on the pier inhaling the sweet aroma of water.

He should remember to thank Rapunzel later. Sure, being the man he was had reacted violently, but an unknown passerby had the courage to face him before calling the police.

What could stand out in addition to her abilities were her beautiful hazel eyes.

At no time had they spoken, and he wasn't sure how, but he was sure he had met her.

If one day he saw her again, I thought since then, he would find a way to thank her.


	6. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 16.  
Scarf.

The cold began to haunt the city of Corona, and people began to warm up or minimally to lock themselves in their homes to enjoy the heating.

Others had the misfortune of risking the cold, and Cassandra was one of those people. She had a brown scarf around her neck, covering her mouth and brushing with her reddish nose. It was really old, a gift from her father—if memory didn't fail, it was from their first Christmas together; maybe that's why she refused to get rid of it despite the seams in all its length.

She hugged herself, feeling the cold fabric of her red jacket and the way her body trembled.

"Damn this season," she growled, frowning, sneezing simultaneously when the warm, delicious smell of freshly brewed coffee invaded her nostrils.

Her stomach growled, eager to try something to suppress the fucking cold—these kinds of thoughts appeared when she was really stressed.

She stopped, resting her back on the wall to take out her cellphone and write to Rapunzel with trembling fingers.

"I'll stop for coffee, don't wait for me," she sent, before entering the coffee shop, delighting in the warm and welcoming atmosphere.

There were flowers at each centerpiece and a plump cat sleeping next to the cash register, but there was nothing he couldn't tolerate.

She coughed, before sitting at one of the tables.

She would be fine.

  
"Why the hell did it have to be now?" Varian coughed, taking a handkerchief from the box in his bedside table to blow his nose, hugging his raccoon stuffed animal with the opposite arm.

Of all the damn occasions to get sick, his immune system had chosen no more than to give in on a day when he would take tests.

It was nothing more than a simple flu, nothing serious, but since childhood he had been very sick and his father very insistent that he stay in bed.

His nose, redder than usual, itched; and his throat burned. Soon his father would bring his special chicken soup and his medicine to finally rest.

He just waited, he thought as he wrapped the thick blue scarf in his shoulder blades, that the chemistry teacher would allow him to take the exam.


	7. Andrew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 17.  
Tattoo.

"So... did you see Andrew again?" When Cassandra had arrived in dismay at the college, Rapunzel immediately knew that something had happened to her friend.

However, everything she could have imagined, that she gave him that information during the only free time they had in common and had lunch, was not exactly what she expected.

Eugene was not present when attending his own schedule; but if it were, the student was sure that he would present the same discomfort. After all, he had also met Cassandra's previous partner, and it hadn't been the... best relationship.

"Yep," she drank from her water bottle casually, before continuing to fiddle with the thread that came from her scarf, "he sent his ego to hell, pathetically asking me to date again. He had more tattoos than the last time I saw him."

The image of Andrew, sending the cold to the devil to show his body full of tattoos was presented in her memory. Of course, the arrogant smile was still there, calling her his old flame as if the intimacy were still there, but seeing more scribbles that seemed to be dedicated to cults that skin had made her uncomfortable.

"I really have no interest in starting another relationship, at least not for now..." The shadow of her figure lurking against a jerk, who used his abs to intimidate another, sly guy, made her squeeze the bottle, feeling the water rub the back of his hand.

Yes. For now she had no interest in starting another relationship, especially with idiots like them.

It didn't matter what the marks that appeared on her body had to say.


	8. Soulmates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 18.  
Prophecy.

_Soulmates_ was the stupidest idea Varian could have known. He was a man of science, skeptical; he didn't have to believe in absurd fantasies.

A red and invisible thread tangled in your little finger was already ridiculous. If it was invisible, how could believers say it was red?

Seeing colors distinctively when meeting the supposed person was absurd, even more when saying that it was their favorite color. Although Rapunzel assures with certainty that this was possible, using her own case as example, he had no way to prove it scientifically when the same studies did not say much.

Feel the same? The only times he has seen this has been with a couple of twins he met in high school, they assure it was simple perception, or a bond they have had since they were born; but he still had a lot to study on the subject to have a guaranteed answer.

Distinctive marks? If possible, he would have distinguished a person with a denture-shaped scar on their shoulder, or a birthmark on the back of their right hand! He acknowledged being too clumsy to have the occasional reddened spot on the body and the occasional injured knuckle, even if he fainted every time he saw blood. He remembered that since he was a child he was a sleepwalker, so seeing some notes written did not surprise him, though he still did not understand why they were about criminology.

The point was, that the supposed prophecy that your soul was already attached to another person was nothing more than fallacies so that the ecclesiastics felt better about themselves, expectant of the other person as if they lived in a misspelled fairytale.

Varian growled in exasperation, cleaning the notes that for the umpteenth time appeared in his arms, carving himself with the soap until red.

It was the third time this week.

  
Cassandra had never felt so nervous in a test when she found her arms free of notes, after struggling to find information between her notes.

_Soulmates_ was the stupidest idea she could have ever known. But if true, she just wanted to hit whoever was that bold enough to erase her writings.


	9. Hi! I'm Varian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 19.  
Book.
> 
> Day 20.  
Taste.

The exams were close to Varian, so it was time to go to the college bookstore to expand his notes that would help him study. Not that he disliked going to the bookstore, he loved to learn for the love of learning, he could read an encyclopedia a whole day if he only attended to his basic needs, but feeling the pressure of a test was not a pleasant feeling, especially when libraries were full of people and he could hardly find a place to study properly without feeling downcast by so many people.

"Thank you." Smiling shyly, he hugged the book against his chest. Unconsciously, he looked at the tables. But they were all busy, all with strangers. In his mind, everyone judged him with their eyes, muttered behind his back and scrutinized him, generating a bad taste in his mouth. Actually, everyone was so focused on their notes and on recovering the knowledge they did not get in the usual classes, just noticing the presence of a young adult prodigy walking in the place; but it was clearly not so for Varian's eyes.

But among all the tables, he perceived a very peculiar table, which only formed a smile on the younger face. Rapunzel and Eugene, with him more nervous about his exam than she was while studying with a more stocky, colored man, who had only seen a couple of occasions accompanying him on his adventures. Next to Rapunzel, on the other hand, there was a clearly older girl, even if it was only a few years apart. The dark tone of the hair stood out on her white skin, but the most peculiar were her hazel eyes.

He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he had the feeling of _ having met her before _.

He sighed heavily, hugging the book harder against his chest—to the degree of feeling his rampant beats against his chest—before approaching the table, even hesitating to take the only chair available.

Fortunately, Rapunzel had looked up for a second, enough to perceive the hesitant boy scratching his neck with his free hand.

"Oh, Varian, good to see you!" She exclaimed, abruptly interrupting the silence that was on the table, startling the rest and getting quiet in the process, before which she murmured a sheepish apology, "feel free to sit down."

And judging by the sincere smile she gave him under the glow of her green eyes, she was serious. Varian smiled before sitting down, right in front of the short-haired woman who only raised her eyebrow.

The glow in the boy's big eyes was huge to be true.

"Right, I never introduced you," Rapunzel murmured, leveling her voice to avoid being quiet again, despite the way the two men at her side scrutinized their book and asked her with their eyes to allow them to study in silence. "Cass, he is Varian; V, Cassandra."

_ Oh, she was Cassandra,_ Varian smiled. Rapunzel talks a lot about her when they don't have a topic to talk about, and she had become a recurring theme since the insane relationship he was in ended. That removed the bad taste.

On the other hand, she didn't know what, how to feel. She knew about Varian, yes; her friend had often told her about him, but not in the same way. Besides, it was not so difficult to recognize the youngest student who used to walk on campus while stammering for himself.

"Nice to meet you." Without knowing what to say, Varian smiled nervously, finally putting the book on the table to shake his hand toward Cassandra, whose eyes widened in realization.

_ There it was,_ the voice serious for his age and height. If Cassandra felt a taste in her mouth, she failed to specify which.

"Cassandra." Despite the harsh tone, she shook the opposite hand with some abruptness, the angle covering the birthmark on the back of her hand.

At that moment, _ Varian remembered. _The voice, the figure that lashed out at his former partner when he tried to break the relationship...

Varian smiled more confidently.

Both ignored the feel of their hands when they shook them. They had never done it.

But, somehow, they _ felt they had done it before. _


End file.
